Mists of Evening
by Absol Master
Summary: My first try at MatthewxLeila. Birthday giftfic to DarkBlaziken FireAssassin. Even after death, even after parting, Matthew wishes for another, impossible chance, just to tell her everything. And that chance isn't as impossible as it seems...


Alright, here goes. My first MatthewxLeila fic. It's a birthday present to DarkBlaziken aka FireAssassin aka Matthew. Hope you (especially you, DBFA!) like it!

Retitled on 20th June 2008. I think the new title is more suitable.

M i s t s _of_ E v e n i n g

It had been a month. A month since Nergal had been defeated, a month since Nils and Ninian had left, a month since the army had snatched Elibe away from the claws of disaster.

Yet, he felt sorrowful. Yes, he rejoiced in the fact that they had won the final battle. No more fighting, no more fear of death. It was time to rejoice, it seemed. No one had been lost.

_Really?_

_No, Not no one. _

Leila was gone.

Matthew was sitting alone on a hilltop, staring on into the starry sky, a vast plain of glittering light. Below the hill, the rest of the army was eating dinner, talking, and celebrating.

As he looked at the stars, Matthew thought,_ I wonder where we go when we die. Where are you, Leila? Do you know how much I miss you? Can you even hear me? _Recalling her face, he felt tears stinging in his eyes. _Why did you have to leave so early?_

"Cheer up, Matthew," called a voice from behind him. Matthew turned around to see Eliwood climbing up the hill with some difficulty. "The whole thing's over, there's nothing to be sad about. Why don't you join us?"

All of a sudden, Matthew's temper flared up for no reason at all. "Nothing to be sad about?!" Matthew half yelled back, straining to control his anger. "_How could you—?"_

Eliwood backed away for a short while, before he came to sit next to him. The lord looked up to the stars as well. "I know what you're thinking," he said absently. "I would probably be doing the same. I can imagine how painful it must be."

Matthew turned away. "What do you know?" he replied sulkily. "You don't know. No one knows how it's like—"

"Listen," Eliwood said. "I know how it's like for the one person you love to die." His voice trailed away, and only the sound of the whistling wind ensued for a minute.

Matthew looked down. . "I had such great hopes for the two of us," he finally said. "I thought, maybe, we could both leave our jobs as spies, and find a new home somewhere in Araphen…but all that's gone now. Missed my chance, my only chance. I should have asked her earlier."

He smiled sadly, struggling to keep his tears back, as he tried to recall his first meeting with Leila. It had been but a year ago…

_Matthew had completely destroyed his bedroom searching for his silver dagger._

"_Where the is it?!" He yelled at the top of his voice. Who could have taken it away, without him, the best spy in Castle Ositia, noticing?_

"_Looking for this?" came a voice from the doorway. Matthew came out from under his bed and saw a girl a little younger than him, with fiery red hair. In her right hand, she held his precious silver dagger._

"_Hey!" Matthew shouted. "Give it back!"_

"_It's a nice dagger. Wish I had one like that," the girl replied, ignoring Matthew._

"_Who are you?" Matthew asked, ready to jump upon her._

"_The best spy in Castle Ositia," she answered proudly. "Leila's my name."_

"_But _I'm _the best spy in Castle Ositia! Give it back! _I_ stole that dagger! _I _get to keep it!"_

"_Well, I stole it from you, so there."_

_Matthew sighed. "Alright, you're good," he finally relented. "My name's Matthew, second best spy in Castle Ositia! Now can I have my dagger back?"_

"_Oh, fine," Leila answered. "But it's honestly a nice dagger. I'd like to have one like that myself."_

Matthew could not help but smile at that. How strange a meeting it had been. They had been little more than acquaintances that day. Little had he known of the many events that would follow that day, or of how close they would become.

"Matthew, you're smiling," Eliwood observed. "What're you thinking of now?"

Matthew did not reply. He simply looked back into the star-speckled night and breathed deeply.

_If only it had not all ended so soon…_

The next evening, the army was gathered at the town cemetery, to honour those who died fighting against the Black Fang. This cemetery was full of tombstones, all shining pale orange in the sunset light.

"I've heard of this magical mist which appears very occasionally at sunset, and when it drifts over the cemetery, anyone standing in its midst can see and hear the souls of the dead," Serra said to Priscilla. "Aetherstrata, they call it. Sounds scary. But I won't be scared of it!"

"Nonsense," Priscilla replied. "This mist thing doesn't exist, and _everyone _knows _you'll_ be the first running off if that _did_ happen!"

Matthew listened with dull interest. Everyone was holding one minute's silence for the dead, though he wondered why they were doing it for people they did not know.

_What do you mean?! _Matthew suddenly rebuked himself angrily. _It doesn't matter if we don't know the dead! All of them died at the hands of the very one who ordered Leila's death! _How could he not feel sorrow for them?

He could not help but call to memory the countless Black Fang Members whom he had ripped apart with his dagger, the strength coming from his blinding rage. Now, seeing the hundreds of tombstones, he felt grimly satisfied that he had done so. _They deserved it._

Finally, the army was done paying their respects, and they continued on their way towards the harbour, where they would depart for Dread Isle.

"Once we reach Dread Isle, we'll search out any remaining Morphs and destroy them!" Eliwood shouted spiritedly. "We must completely wipe them out!"

Dread Isle held bitter memories for everyone. It was a place where many had gotten injured, where they had seen the last of Eliwood's father, where Ninian and Nils had departed. And where Leila had been killed.

By the next morning, the army was on Fargus' ship. Matthew stood at the bow, watching the sparkling water. _I'm going to visit Leila's grave, _he thought to himself. _It's not too far. And I miss her so much…_

Another flashback came to Matthew as he stared into the sea, this time of what had been their last day together in the castle.

_Since they had first met, Matthew and Leila had shared many adventures, and the two had subconsciously become very close._

_Love, it was such a strange feeling. All of a sudden, Matthew had begun to like Leila without even noticing it. But he just could not bring himself to tell her._

_The two were standing before Lord Hector, awaiting his orders._

"_Leila, being our most skilled spy, you are assigned with the task of spying on the Black Fang's activities," Hector said. Leila gasped audibly. Beside her, Matthew felt a jolt of shock. _Such a dangerous mission? Surely not? What if she—

"_How will I do that?" Leila asked in reply._

"_You pretend to join them," the lord said. "Just don't ever get found out. It is dangerous, I know, but you must try your best. The two of us, Lord Eliwood and I, suspect that they're up to something that might jeopardise the whole continent. We are going to lead an attack on them some time soon. We need as much information as we can get."_

"_I'll do my job to the best of my ability," Leila replied, eyes fiery with determination._

"_And Matthew, you may help me spy on the other houses of Lycia. I want to know if any of them is planning on helping the Black Fang," Hector added, turning to Matthew._

_After Hector had departed, Leila came up to Matthew. "Stay safe," she said. "I hope to see you again."_

"_All the more for you," Matthew replied. "Leila?"_

"_Yes?" she asked._

"_Oh, nothing actually. Just to say good luck," he quickly answered._

Oh, _why _had he hesitated to tell her? Matthew sighed hard as he recalled. Even now, after a few months, he regretted his indecision. _It's too late to tell her now. I'll never be able to walk with her, talk to her again, and tell her my true feelings. She's gone. She's no longer here with me. Well, just too bad for me._

Matthew spent the rest of the day with Leila on his mind. He could still recall exactly her voice, the shade of her hair, and the depth of beauty in her mysterious eyes.

Never again would he feel so much for a single person, and never again would his soul be torn so badly upon anyone else's death. On the outside, he seemed ever cheerful, always smiling. But deep in his heart, he was crying out for everything to have happened differently, for him to have spied on the Black Fang in Leila's place, and died instead of her.

But nothing could change that now.

Finally, as the sky lights dimmed, Matthew returned below the deck for dinner.

_Leila…I still remember you. There's so much I want to tell you. If only we had another chance…_

Late next afternoon, the ship had arrived at the harbour of Dread Isle. Everyone got off and began to discuss what they would do.

"Why do we even have to come here? I'm scared."

"Aren't they all gone? If any are remaining, I'll—I'll—"

"Oh, I'm glad I left that lot."

Matthew slipped away from the group as quickly and silently as he could, into the forest. _It's somewhere here, I know. Somewhere here…_

He continued along the path, which was becoming dreadfully familiar. The trees…they were the very kind among which he had found Leila's body…

And suddenly, he found it. The firs encircling a small hollow, the ground still smelling sweet with dew, like before. But now, heather grew all over the ground. Inevitably, Matthew felt a pang of familiarity and bitterness rising up his throat. _Heather… Leila's favourite plant…_

It was here where Leila had been buried, right here, in this fir grove, below where he stood.

"Leila…" he sighed, kneeling down. "Leila, I wish you could hear me…you have been gone so long. Do you know how much it hurts me, to spend every waking hour with but a memory of you in my heart?"

As he knelt on the soft earth, the air around him was slowly beginning to moisten. "Matthew!" came a distant shout. "Where could that thief have gone? Matthew! Get back! Fog's coming in!"

Matthew looked around. Indeed, a thin mist was beginning to form around the clearing. If he did not get back soon, he would get lost. But Leila…

It was too late now. The mist had grown so thick, he could not see a thing, other than the clumps of heather which carpeted the ground.

Something he remembered Leila saying suddenly came back into his memory.

"_But it's honestly a nice dagger. I'd like to have one like that myself."_

Slowly, Matthew reached into his dagger sheath. The silver dagger was still there, unused since he had gotten it back from Leila a year ago. Drawing it out, he watched it glint in the dim, foggy light. Then, he laid it down on Leila's grave, among the heather stalks.

"I hope it makes you happy, Leila," Matthew whispered, closing his eyes in memory.

As he opened his eyes, Matthew suddenly noticed that the mist was glittering with something like magic, as if there were hints of silver glitter in it. "W-what's this?" he gasped.

Then, Matthew remembered. "I've heard of this magical mist which appears very occasionally at sunset, and when it drifts over the cemetery, anyone standing in its midst can see and hear the souls of the dead," Serra had said. And this was it. Aetherstrata. Matthew shivered, more with anticipation than with fear or fright.

Then, within the mist, he heard an indistinct, musical sound. Slowly, the sound became clearer.

"Matthew…" a lyrical voice sang. "Matthew, thank you!"

Matthew looked up, and before he did, he had pretty much guessed what he would see. Before him, Leila stood, the silver dagger in hand. The dagger looked perfect in her hand, as if it had been made for her. She looked beautiful.

"Leila…" Matthew called, slowly standing. "I love you, Leila!"

Leila simply smiled, a smile so beautiful that Matthew could not help but feel his heart being torn with emotion.

"Me too, Matthew," she replied. "I wanted to tell you for so long, but before I could…we parted, and…"

"Don't worry, Leila. Everything's fine now," Matthew answered comfortingly. "I wanted to tell you too, Leila! I wanted to so badly!"

Matthew suddenly felt true tears streaming from his eyes as he reached out to her, blinded. Leila reached out as well, and her ghostly hand brushed his.

In those few moments, so much passed between them that could not be described by words. Happiness, complete joy and love, and refreshing hope…

"I'll find you when I die," Matthew promised. "Then we can be together, forever…"

Leila blinked a few times, as if she were trying not to cry.

Slowly, the mist was vanishing, and Leila with it.

"Till then," Leila called, her voice growing softer. "Till that time, I'll be waiting!"

"Leila…Leila!"

But in moments, she was gone.

Matthew stood up and looked around, the images still fresh in his mind, the tears still half blinding him. _Leila…I'll find you._

Around him, the mist was already almost gone, and as he looked down at the clearing, he saw an amazing sight. The heather sparkled with dewdrops which looked like glittering gems, and the dagger had vanished.

_I hope you like the dagger, _Matthew thought. _It's a gift from me. Since you wanted it so badly. _He thought he heard a distant laugh.

Suddenly, a huge wyvern descended into the clearing, along with two pegasi.

"There you are, finally!" Heath exclaimed, getting off Hyperion. "It's almost night. Better get going soon."

Matthew nodded, as he climbed onto the wyvern's back. Before long, the four were flying back to the army's camp in the sunset sky.

Back in the camp, Matthew was back to his cheery old self. Eliwood seemed to have noticed this, and asked him about it.

"Well, all I can say is, I guess stories always end happily, one way or another," he replied. "Oh, and anyway, I made her a promise. We'll meet again the next life. Then nothing can part us again…"

"That is very nice to hear," Ninian suddenly commented from behind the two of them. "Such a beautiful story. You'll keep your promise, won't you?"

Matthew suddenly remembered the numerous memories he shared with Leila, through the troubled times, and joys of life.

"Of course I'll keep my promise," Matthew replied.

A/N: Anyone thinks this story should be rated T? Review!


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